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SUNSHINE LIBRARY. 

THE BLIND BROTHER. 

By Homer Greene $0.50 

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The Story of a Child’s Faith and Love 50 

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NEW YORK AND BOSTON. 














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MASTER SUNSHINE 



MRS. C. F. FRASER 
n 


New York: 46 East r4TH Street 


THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY 


Boston: ioo Purchase Street 


2nd 

1898 , 



PVO COPiFSFE^EiVED^ 





o 


Copyright, 1898 , 

By Thomas Y. Crowell & CoMPA^’Y. 




C. J. Peters & Son, Typographers. 
Boston. 


OONTEITTS. 

CHAPTER ' PAGE 

I. Who He Was 1 

II. The Wanderer and His Wife 9 

III. The Rainy Day 17 

IV. A Sunday with Father 25 

Y. Being a Hero 31 

VI. Kind Deeds 39 

VII. A Happy Ending 47 


9 


^ '/I' 


{ 


MASTEE SUNSHINE. 


CHAPTER I. 

WHO HE WAS. 

F course his real name was not Master 
Sunshine. 

Who ever heard of a boy with a 
name like that? 

But his mother said that long before he could 
speak he chose the name for himself, for even as 
a baby he was full of a cheery good humor that 
was always sparkling out in his winning smiles 
and his rippling laugh. He was a good-natured, 
happy child from the time that he could toddle 
about; and he was very young when he began 
to give pleasure to his friends by serving them in 
all the little ways within his power. 

The very golden curls that topped his small 
head glistened as if they had caught and impris- 
oned the glory of the morning sun ; and it really 
1 




2 


MASTEU SUNSHINE. 


did seem as if a better name could hot be found 
for the merry, helpful little fellow than Master 
Sunshine. 

His real name was a very different affair — 
Frederick Alexander Norton — and his boy friends 
called him Freddy for short. His little sister 
Lucy called him “buzzer” and Suns’ine; and 
Almira Jane, the help, who made the brownest 
and crispest of molasses cookies, and the most 
delicious twisted doughnuts, said he was a “ swate 
angel of light,” except at such times as she called 
him a “rascalpion.” 

Master Sunshine never stopped to argue with 
Almira Jane when she called him a “ rascalpion.” 
He knew that this was a plain sign that she was 
getting “ nervous ; ” and when Almira Jane was 
nervous, it was always best for small boys to be 
out of the way. 

A little later, when the kitchen floor had been 
scrubbed, and the stove polished like a shiny black 
mirror, and the bread-dough had been kneaded 
and set to rise, he knew he would be a welcome 
visitor again. 

Perhaps that was one of the many reasons why 
people loved him so. He was always consider- 
ate. He had the good sense not to keep on ask- 


WHO HE WAS. 


3 


ing questions and offering help when it was best 
to go quietly away. Somehow he always felt 
sure that his turn would come presently, and that 
Almira Jane would be sorry she had called him 
such a hard name, and would be only too pleased 
to have him look over the, beans for the bean- 
pot, and fill the wood-box, and do all the other 
little kitchen chores that he delighted in. 

There were sure to be pleasant times after one 
of Almira Jane’s nervous attacks. When she 
was quite over her flurry and worry, Daisy, the 
Maltese cat, would crawl out of her hiding-place 
under the stove, and arch her tail, and purr con- 
tentedly as she rubbed her long, graceful body 
against the table-legs ; while Gyp, the pet dog, 
would hurry in from the dog-house under the 
shade of the orchard-trees, and jump on Almira 
Jane’s shoulder, and she would be as pleased as 
possible over his knowing ways. At such times 
Master Sunshine was very fond of Almira Jane. 

He loved Lucy with a steady affection, too, 
though she pulled his curls sometimes until he 
fairly expected to lose the whole of his golden 
locks. She needed a great deal of patient amuse- 
ment, too, and she was not very considerate of 
his belongings. 


4 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


One day he was very angry, and his hand was 
lifted in anger against her. 

The trouble was that she had torn in two his 
favorite picture of elephants in his animal book. 
The little girl was quite unaware of the mischief 
her chubby fingers had wrought, hut she knew 
very well by the look of Master Sunshine’s over- 
cast face that in some way she had displeased 
him. 

So, pursing up her lips in a smile not unlike 
his own sunshiny one, she lisped, in funny imita- 
tion of her mother, — 

“ Never mind, Suns’ine, little sister’s sorry ; ” 
and, strange to say, at her words the angry pas- 
sion left him, and tears of shame stood in his 
blue eyes. 

“ Of course,” he said afterwards, in telling the 
story to his mother, ‘‘ I know that Lucy didn’t 
know the sense of what she was saying, but she 
did seem to know how to get at the sensibliness 
of me. Just imagine, mother, how bad we would 
all have felt if I had struck my own dear sister 
that God sent us to take care of ! ” 

And that was so like Master Sunshine. He 
never willingly gave pain to any living creature ; 
and although he was sometimes careless and for- 


WBO HE WAS. 


5 


getful, just like other boys, yet he was never 
known to be wilfully unkind. 

He loved his mother very dearly too, and per- 
haps it was from her gentle ways that he had 
learned to be so thoughtful for others. He told 
her all his joys, and all his secrets save one; 
and he dearly loved the bedtime hour, when she 
read to him the stories that he most admired, — 
stories of brave deeds were the kind he was al- 
ways asking for. But neither of them ever 
dreamed that the quiet bedtime hours were teach- 
ing him to be a hero. 

It did not seem possible that an eight-year-old 
boy could be a hero such as one reads of in books. 

Of course, he was going to do great things 
when he was a man. He meant to make a great 
fortune, of which half was to be his mother’s ; 
and if she chose to spend it on churches and mis- 
sionaries and schools, so much the better. 

He was sure she would rather do this than buy 
herself handsome dresses and diamond rings and 
ruby necklaces; and he was quite certain that, 
when she wore her gray gown and her gray 
bonnet, with the purple violets tucked under the 
brim, that she was the most beautiful lady in the 
world. 


6 


HASTES SUNSHINE. 


His own share of the fortune he planned to 
spend in many ways. He promised himself, 
among other things, that he would put up a 
fountain in the village, where tired people and 
thirsty horses and cows and dogs and birds would 
come for a drink. “ I’d have a text on it too,” 
he would say, with his eyes shining with excite- 
ment. “ It should be, ^ I was thirsty, and ye gave 
me drink.” And of course ‘I’ would mean the 
Lord ; for the Bible tells us how kind he was 
to all helpless things, and I think he Avould be 
pleased to have all the animals tended to as well 
as the thirsty people. I wish I could be a man 
now, and they would not have to go thirsty any 
longer.” 

He often told Almira Jane about the fountain 
too; and she always said that it was a capital 
idea. 

But it was to his father only that he told his 
secret. 

It was a queer secret, and a very real trouble, 
too, I can tell you. 

Part of it was that Master Sunshine was just 
the least bit bow-legged. 

Of course there could not be much of a secret 
about that. Lots of people knew it quite well. 


WHO HE WAS. 


7 


In fact, if you looked carefully at the well-shaped 
limhs in the trim blue stockings and neat knicker- 
bockers, you could easily see that the legs curved 
slightly outwards. 

But the real secret — the real heart and soul 
of the matter — was that being bow-legged was 
a great, great grief to Master Sunshine. No 
one but his father ever knew this — not even 
his mother, or Almira Jane, or Lucy. It was 
too sore a subject to speak of freely. 

It was on the day when he first put on trousers 
that his troubles began. It seemed to him that 
people began then to make such odd remarks 
about him ; and the strangest thing of all was 
that they would seem to quite forget that he 
heard every word they said, and that they never 
seemed to understand how they were hurting 
his feelings. 

For a time he solved the difficulty in a clever 
way. He begged his mother to make him some 
loose sailor suits with long bagging legs. 

They served their purpose well, and so long as 
they lasted no one ever spoke of the tender sub- 
ject that he wished to avoid. But still he never 
felt comfortable about them in his mind. 

It seemed such a cowardly thing to hide his 


8 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


legs like that, and he did so want to be manly in 
all his ways. 

So, after a long talk one day with his father, 
as they saimtered hand in hand down a shady 
country road, with Gyp sporting and playing 
alongside, he decided to face the trouble bravely, 
and wear knickerbockers like other boys of his 
age. And, instead of sulking or fretting about 
what he could not help, he set himself to making 
allowances for other people.* 

‘‘Father says that every one has his trials,” 
he would say to himself sagely; “and I dare say 
that most folks have worse trials than mine. So 
when Almira Jane is ‘ nervous,’ and Lucy is fret- 
ful, or mother has her bad headaches, I must just 
remember to be ’specially good to them. Maybe, 
after all, bow-leggedness isn’t the worst thing to 
put up with.” 


THE WANHEREB AND HIS WIFE. 


9 


CHAPTER II. 

THE WANDERER AND HIS WIFE. 

ASTER SUNSHINE was such a busy 
boy. Sometimes it seemed to him 
that the reason he did not get into as 
much mischief as other boys of his 
age was because he really had no time in which 
to be idle. 

There was school each day, to begin with, and 
lessons to be prepared, and story-books to read, 
and the flower-garden to be cared for, and Gyp to 
teach new tricks to, and the pets to be tended and 
looked after, — in fact, there were more things 
than I can tell you of always waiting to be done. 

It was nearly one boy’s work, for instance, to 
take care of the Guinea fowls, — the handsome, 
mottled hens, that never knew when they were 
well off, but were always running away and get- 
ting lost. If it had not been for their shrill, 
silly cackle, their hiding-places would never have 
been found. Master Sunshine pursued them every 




10 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


time they strayed, and brought them home tri- 
umphantly. I think he loved his sturdy family 
of Cochin Chinas best ; for the great rooster, with 
his well-feathered legs and scarlet comb, always 
seemed to recognize him as a friend, and the 
plump hens laid the most delicious eggs, the exact 
hue of their own buff plumage. It was never any 
trouble to feed and water them, or to let them 
out of the hen-yard for a short run. 

Every one knew that the Wanderer and his 
Wife were Master Sunshine’s property. The 
Wanderer was a great white gander, with a long 
neck and a still longer tongue, if one could meas- 
ure it by the clatter it made in the world. His 
Wife was a patient gray goose, who waddled after 
him unceasingly, and was always ready to add 
her shrill voice to his. 

It troubled their young owner not a little that 
the Wanderer had to wear a great yoke of light 
wood about his neck ; but after the bird had twice 
run away and trampled the gardens of their neigh- 
bors, he could see that it was necessary. 

Almira Jane put the matter very clearly be- 
fore him. “ I don’t think he does like his collar 
much, and it ain’t really ornamental,” said she ; 
“ but it is kinder to the neighbors to have him 


THE WANDERER AND HIS WIFE. 


11 


wear a yoke so that he cannot squeeze between 
the pickets in the fences to destroy the gardens.” 

“ But the goose may do the same mischief,” 
interrupted Master Sunshine anxiously. 

Almira Jane shook her head wisely. 

“ The poor silly thing will never think of it by 
herself,” she answered. “ All she does is to fol- 
low her mate ; and if we keep him out of trouble, 
she will be all right, I promise you.” 

It always made Almira Jane laugh when she 
thought of the day when Master Sunshine brought 
the Wanderers home. Master Sunshine had gone 
to old Mrs. Sorefoot, who lived down the road, 
to get a setting of Leghorn eggs. The old lady, 
whose life was being made miserable by the 
clamor of the pair of geese which a grandchild 
had brought her the week before as a particularly 
choice gift, told Master Sunshine that, if he 
would but take them away, they should be his 
property. 

The little fellow was more delighted than I can 
tell you. He had always wanted to own geese, 
and this was such a good chance. And he made 
up his mind on the instant that as soon as he 
got them home, he would remove the queer-look- 
ing collar from the gander’s neck. 


12 


MASTEB SUNSHINE. 


Then he set ovit for home, oh, sp proudly ! 

On one arm he carried carefully the basket of 
eggs ; under the other was the gray goose, with 
her legs securely tied. Behind him, led, or rather 
dragged, by a stout cord passed through the open- 
ing in the yoke, came the white gander, who was 
quite able by spreading his powerful wings to con- 
test every step of the way. Poof Master Sun- 
shine ! What a time he did have, and how very 
hot and excited he was before he reached home ! 

Almira Jane saw him coming, and flew to meet 
him. Never in her life had she seen such a 
strange sight. The little fellow set the basket of 
eggs gently on the ground, laid the' struggling 
goose on her side, and made the Wanderer fast , 
to a fence-post, before he could answer her many 
questions. 

Then he mopped his forehead with his small 
handkerchief, and drew a deep sigh of relief. 

“ 0 Almira Jane ! it has been the worst time,” 
he said. “ If you T1 just look at my stockings, 

I am afraid you will see that there is lots of 
darning to be done.” 

Almira Jane surveyed the calves of his plump 
legs wonderingly. Sure enough, there were doz- 
ens of little round holes through which the pink 


THE WANDERER AND HIS WIFE. 


13 


skin was showing. There were even little stains 
of blood on the ravelled yarn. 

“ XJie old gander has nipped my legs with his 
sharp bill, and butted me with his yoke, and pulled 
on the string so I could scarcely keep my feet. 
The gra^^ goose has flapped me with her wings 
whenever she got the chance; and in getting them 
safely here, I nearly fell a dozen times, and broke 
the whole setting of eggs,” he said excitedly. 

Almira Jane looked admiringly at him. “You 
ain’t got much strength, but you got considerable 
grit,” she said proudly. 

' “ But they didn’t know how inconvenient it 
was for me, ” added the boy more calmly. “ When 
they see how kind we are to them, I think they 
will be sorry about the way they treated me.” 

Almira Jane looked at the gander critically, and 
cut the string that bound the gray goose’s legs, 
before she made any reply. 

“ They need their wings clipped,” she said. 
“That is the kindest thing we can do for them.” 

Master Sunshine looked both surprised and 
grieved. 

“You see. Sunshine,” she continued, “ geese are 
wild birds still, though generations and'~..g;ene- 
rations of our grandfathers tried to tame them, 


14 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


yet they are not wild enough to look after them- 
selves. When they stray away from their homes 
they have not wit enough either to find food 
which is suitable to them, or to hide themselves 
from dogs or wild animals who delight to worry 
them ; so the best thing we can do is to fit them 
for the life we want them to lead.” 

Master Sunshine nodded thoughtfully. He 
had great faith in Almira Jane’s knowledge, and 
the good sense of her arguments always satisfied 
his judgment. 

It was not until he had gone in the house, and 
was well out of hearing, that Almira Jane began 
to laugh; and such a clear, ringing, downright, 
hearty laugh it was, the old Wanderer bumped his 
yoke against the fence to show his approval, and 
the gray goose joined in with high, shrill screams 
of delight. It really seemed as if they were trying 
to tell Almira Jane what they thought of their 
journey along the road with their new master. 

There were not many houses near the pretty 
white cottage in which Master Sunshine lived. 
The Hill-top school, of which he was a pupil, was 
quite a half-mile away; and Tommy Dane, who 
lived just across the street from his home, used 
to walk there with him every day. Master Sun- 


THE WANDERER AND HIS WIFE. 


15 


shine was very fond of Tommy, though his little 
friend had some ways that he did not wholly 
like. 

The only other boy near-by was Billy Butler, a 
poor, half-witted idiot, who lived with his family 
in a tiny cottage under the side of a hill. Master 
Sunshine was very pitiful of Billy’s sad lot, and 
many an apple and slice of bread did he share 
with him. 

Not far away was the beautiful summer house 
of Mr. Patterson, a city banker. The lawns and 
flower-beds there were always beautiful to see; 
and the great house with its many bay windows 
and broad verandas always seemed like a palace 
to Master Sunshine. But best of all he loved the 
great stable where a prancing silver horse was 
always riding on the weather vane. 

It was at the stable that he saw his friend 
Jacob, who was quite as wonderful in his knowl- 
edge of animals as Almira Jane. 

It took a great deal of Master Sunshine’s time 
just to repeat Jacob’s stories to Almira Jane; and 
he noticed that whenever he began to tell Jacob 
about what Almira Jane said — Almira Jane was 
brought up on a Nova Scotia farm and knew 
everything about animals — his listener would 


16 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


stamp on the barn floor to show his approval, 
and would listen to every word. 

The great stable was a very pleasant place 
these spring days. The horses were all so well 
groomed, their stalls were all so perfectly clean, 
and, in the barn beyond, the cows looked round 
from their place with such friendly eyes. Master 
Sunshine used to wish that every one in the 
village would come to admire the place and to 
talk with Jacob. He was sure that everyone 
who talked to Jacob would be kind to animals 
ever after. 


THE RAINY DAY. 


17 


CHAPTER III. 

THE RAINY DAY. 



HE sky was all leaden and overcast when 
Master Sunshine woke up one morning. 
The fast-falling rain-drops were so big 
and so close together that it almost 
seemed as if some great sky-ocean was pouring 
down upon the earth. It was too wet for him 
to go to school, and he had to make up his mind 
to enjoy a quiet day in-doors. 

Almira Jane put on her waterproof and rubbers, 
and attended to the hens and the geese ; and in 
order to pay her back for doing his work. Master 
Sunshine polished the silver spoons and forks with 
whitening, and rubbed them with a chamois-skin 
until they fairly gleamed. Then after he had 
tidied up the wood-shed, and cut paper in a fancy 
pattern for the dresser shelves, he decided that 
he was a bit tired of doing things, and he curled 
up 'in the big crimson arm-chair by the dining- 
room window with a new story-book. 



18 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


Presently Lucy’s voice arose in a fretful wail. 

Master Sunshine, I am sorry to say, shut his 
ears to her pitiful cry. He was so comfortable 
and cosey and the story-book was so interesting. 

The wail became louder and louder. It was 
evident that Lucy was on her way down-stairs. 
In a moment she was in the room by his side, and 
by this time her wail had grown to a terrified 
scream. 

“0 Suns’ine! take zem kitty off!” she begged. 

Truly enough his little sister was in great 
trouble. But a minute before Spry, the kitten, 
had strayed away from the mother-cat, and Lucy 
and she had got into mischief already. 

Master Sunshine made haste to lift the kitten 
from Lucy’s shoulder, where it had taken refuge ; 
and he was very sorry to see that the sharp claws 
of the little paws had made their marks on her 
plump neck. 

“ Kiss it p’ease, and make it well,” begged Lucy 
tearfully as she climbed on his knee; while the 
kitten, after looking nervously around, sought ref- 
uge in Master Sunshine’s coat-pocket. 

“ Lucy was dwessin’ kitty in dollie’s clothes, 
and it went ‘ spitz ! ’ and runned up her shoulder,” 
wept Lucy. 


THE RAINY DAY. 19 ^ 

Master Sunshine kissed the smarting neck, and 
cuddled the pet in his arms. 

“ Buzzer will slap kitty for biting sister wiz its 
finder nails,” she begged. 

“ Brother will show sister how to he kind 
to kitty,” he answered, as he drew the trem- 
bling ball of fur from its hiding-place, and 
stroked it with a tender hand. “ Spry is not a 
dolly, and does not like to wear dollie’s clothes. 
Lucy will rub her under her chin just above 
the white star on her breast, and she will sing 
a pretty cat-song to show how happy she is, 
and brother will show Lucy how to lift kitty 
by the loose skin about her neck. Lucy must 
play she is mother-cat whenever she plays with 
Spry.” 

And at the prospect of such a new and delight- 
ful game Lucy dried her eyes, and called him her 
“dee, dee Suns’ine.” 

And then, what do you suppose ? Why, she 
just laid her tear-stained face up against his 
shoulder, and opened her rosy mouth in a great 
yawn, and dropped quietly off to sleep. 

But Master Sunshine’s thoughts were not quite 
so care-free as Lucy’s. “ Next time I must be 
a better brother,” he said to himself ; and when 


20 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


his mother came to carry the baby to her crib, 
he would not let her give him a word of praise. 

I am too ashamed to tell you why, mother,” he 
said ; “ but after this I mean to take better care 
of my little sister.” 

The rain kept falling steadily, and after dinner, 
when mamma had gone to lie down, and Almira 
Jane was washing up the dishes. Master Sun- 
shine was drumming on the window-pane, and 
wondering what he should do the whole long 
afternoon. Just then Tommy Dane came run- 
ning up towards the house, and behind him scam- 
pered a dog, very like Gyp, who, when he heard 
the familiar bark, put his paws on the window- 
sill, and wagged his tail with delight; while Daisy, 
meowing to Spry to follow her, fled hastily up 
the kitchen stairway. 

“Mother said I might bring Tim over and 
have you teach him tricks this afternoon,” an- 
nounced Tommy, shaking the rain off his coat. 

“ Tim is not a smart dog, like your Gyp. He 
does not seem to be able to think. I almost 
wish I had taken Gyp when I had the chance.” 

Master Sunshine and Tommy had got their 
dogs from the same litter of puppies, and Tommy 
had had the first choice. 


THE SAINY DAY. 


21 


“ Tim is such a cross, snappy dog,” continued 
To mm y. “He makes me angry every time I 
try to teach him anything.” 

“ May be it is because you are angry that he is 
cross and snappy,” said Almira Jane, half under 
her breath. 

Of course Master Simshine was very proud to 
exhibit Gyp. He loved to have his pet look up 
at him with trusting brown eyes ; and when Gyp 
sprang on his knee, and put his paws affection- 
ately about his master’s neck, it always seemed 
as if he were not quite a dog, but something very 
like a dear human friend. Gyp had such win- 
ning ways too. He would stand on his hind 
legs and beg, or he would seat himself on a chair, 
and hold out a paw to shake hands with, in the 
most knowing manner ; and all of these accom- 
plishments he owed to his little master’s patient 
teaching. 

Almira Jane was through washing the dishes 
now; and as she too^ the broom in hand to begin 
sweeping out the kitchen, Tim gave a frightened 
growl, and fled to the dining-room. 

Almira Jane grew very red in the face as she 
said, “ That dog can think well enough, and tell 
his thoughts too. It is plain to me that some 


22 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


one has used a broom to ill-treat the poor, help- 
less creature with.” 

Almira Jane looked very hard at Tommy as 
she spoke ; but Tommy threw back his head as if 
he did not much care what she said, and followed 
his dog into the dining-room. “ Let’s keep away 
from that girl,” he said coaxingly; ‘‘it seems to 
me she is very interfering.” 

“ She taught me how to teach Gyp,” said Mas- 
ter Simshine politely ; “ and she is very wise 
about animals. You’ll be fond of her, too, when 
you understand her ways. She only gets ‘ner- 
vous,’ like she was now, when she is very busy 
and hurried, or when she thinks people have been 
unkind. I’m sure she did not mean that you had 
beaten your Tim with a broom.” 

Tommy hung his head. 

“Bixt I did,” he said, almost in a whisper; 
“ he would not shake hands, as I wanted him to, 
so I took up the broom and gave him a blow 
with it. I thought no one saw me do it, and I 
never imagined Tim would tell.” 

Master Sunshine was very much shocked. He 
had not believed that his friend would be guilty 
of such a deed. “ Tommy,” he said gravely, 
“ if you are unkind to Tim he will never look at 


THE RAINY DAT. 


23 


you as if he loved you, and that is the nicest 
thing about having a dog.” 

“I got him a pound of raw meat from the 
butcher’s to make up for it,” said Tommy, half 
sulkily. 

“ But that wasn’t kind, either, though you 
meant it to be so,” cried Master Sunshine ; ‘‘ Tim 
is too young a dog to have so much meat at one 
time. He needs to have his meals regularly, 
just like you and me. Too much fresh meat will 
make him very cross. Perhaps that is part of 
the reason why he snaps at you.” 

Tommy was much interested. “ I wonder why 
I never knew that before?” he cried. “After 
this I will see about his meals myself. I always 
thought that if you gave a dog a bone now and 
then he would get along all right.” 

By this time Master Simshine was busy with 
Tim, propping him on his hind legs, and reward- 
ing him each time he held himself erect for a 
second with a kind word or a pat on the head ; 
and when at last Tim balanced himself for a 
whole half -minute, his teacher flew to the kitchen 
for a lump of sugar, which the dog crunched 
with great enjoyment between his sharp white 
teeth. 


24 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


It was quite dark before they noticed how the 
time was going. The clock was just striking six 
when Almira Jane put her head in at the dining- 
room door. 

“ Mrs. Dane is calling for Tommy,” she an- 
nounced ; “ and before he goes I must give you 
each a bit of lunch.” And whipping open the 
oven door with a corner of her apron, she drew 
out a couple of puffy apple turnovers, all fragrant 
with cinnamon and gummy with sugar, and siz- 
zling with hot apple-juice. Tommy glanced slyly 
at her as he bit into his dainty. 

“ Your Almira Jane has nice ways, even if her 
eyes are sharp,” he said to Master Sunshine as he 
hade him good-by. 


A SUNDAY WITH FATHER. 


25 


CHAPTER IV. 

A SUNDAY WITH FATHER. 



|HAT a welcome day Sunday was to 
Master Sunshine ! 

To be sure he did not always enjoy 
going to church, for sometimes the ser- 
mon seemed long and tiresome; but there was 
always the singing to. look forward to, and the 
breaking up of the congregation after the bene- 
diction had been said. It was always so pleasant 
then, for the ladies in their pretty gowns and the 
men in their black Sunday coats exchanged kindly 
greetings with one another ; and Master Sun- 
shine, in his best blue blouse, with golden anchors 
embroidered on the shoulders, would follow se- 
dately with his family, and shake hands with the 
minister, and nod to his boy and girl acquaint- 
ances in a very grown-up manner. 

Though there were many things about the ser- 
vice that he could not understand, yet it always 
pleased him to think that so many people had 



26 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


come together to do honor to God. It seemed so 
like the Old Testament times, when the people 
went up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. 

Simday-school took up another hour of the day, 
and the lessons there were always easy to under- 
stand. Miss Bell, his young teacher, had always 
pictures to show them of the places they read 
about ; and there were texts and hymns to recite, 
and the class missionary box to put pennies in. 

But what Master Sunshine looked forward to 
most of all was the Sunday afternoon walk with 
his father. Usually they would ramble off to the 
woods or to some quiet by-road, and talk over all 
the doings of the week. And if Master Sunshine 
had done anything that was mean or selfish, he 
was sure to tell about it then. 

“ Any boy can be good on Sunday, when his 
father is with him,” explained Master Sunshine; 
“ it’s on the week-days, when there isn’t a man 
round, that he is most apt to get into trouble. 
And I tell you the worst about me, father, so you 
won’t think I’m a better boy than I really am.” 

It was always so comforting to talk things 
over, even if he had been doing wrong; for he 
was always sure of understanding and sympathy 
and good advice. 


A SVNDAr WITH FATHER. 


27 


“ I often wish every boy and his father were 
chums like us,” he said once. “ Now, when 
Tommy Dane gets in trouble, he is always afraid 
to go to his father, and his mother is too busy to 
be bothered; so he just has to go to some of the 
school-boys. Of course, they don’t know much 
better than he does ; and their advice is just as 
apt as not to be wrong, and poor Tommy finds 
himself in worse trouble than ever. 

“ Only last week he burst the class foot-hall by 
standing on it, and the boys said he must buy 
another. He had no money ; but they told him 
to sell something of his own, and use the money 
to buy another ball. So he sent the silver mug 
that his aunt gave him when he was a baby, up 
to town, and it sold for enough to buy a new ball. 
Then the teacher wanted to know how it was 
that the boys happened to have so much money, 
and Mrs. Dane missed the silver mug. Mr. Dane 
came to the school and took Tommy home, and 
he was, oh, so angry with him ! He said, ‘ he 
was disgraced because his son was a thief,’ ” and 
Master Sunshine’s tone grew very indignant. 

“ You see, father, that if Tommy had only gone 
to some one like you at the first, there would 
have been no trouble at all.” 


28 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


“ And what do you think I would have advised 
in such a case ? ” asked Mr. Norton, much inte- 
rested in the little tale. 

Master Sunshine looked at him wonderingly. 

Why, father,” he said, “don’t you remember 
about me breaking the great pane of glass in the 
schoolhouse window ? You lent me the money 
to pay for having it put in, and I had to give you 
my allowance for ever so long until I made it all 
up.” 

“ But would Tommy’s father have done as much 
for him?” questioned Mr. Norton. 

“ If they were chums like you and me I am sure 
he would,” answered Master Sunshine promptly. 

“And do you think Tommy did right to sell 
his mug?” asked Mr. Norton, much interested as 
to what his son would say. 

“ The mug was his own, so I don’t think it was 
stealing to take it,” said Master Sunshine slowly ; 
“but of course it was not right for him to take 
it away without letting his people know. There 
are lots of things in our house that were given to 
me, and are mine to use and have ; hut they are 
not mine to sell and give away like my toys and 
tops. You never told me so, but I always knew 
there were two ways of owning things.” 


A SUNDAY WITH FATHER. 


29 


“ We have no flowers for mother yet,” said Mr. 
Norton, dismissing the subject as he rose from the 
rock on which they had been resting. “ I wonder 
what we can find for her to-day.” 

How well they knew where to look, and how 
many happy exclamations came from Master Sun- 
shine as they discovered a clump of ferns just 
unfolding from the green balls in which Dame 
Nature had securely packed them. 

In a marshy spot, a host of white violets sent 
up their dainty perfume ; and close by the bed of 
a tiny brook, a scarlet trilium showed its velvety 
petals. A sunny hillside was covered with deep 
purple violets, while under the roadside there.were 
trails of winter-berry vines still green and fresh 
in spite of the snows that had lain on them ; and 
here and there were the satiny blossoms of the 
glossy-leaved pigeon-berry. 

A pair of keel-tailed blackbirds were building 
in a tall tree overhead ; and the sweet, clear notes 
of one of them delighted Master Sunshine until 
he heard the mate answering back with a harsh, 
scraping noise not unlike a dull saw making its 
way through a log of knotted wood. A robin 
gave a mellow chirp; and the Peabody bird was 
filling the air with its sweet, sad strain. 


30 


MASTER SUJSrSHISE. 


It was always very hard to leave the woods 
and fields at such times. They were so full of 
life and brightness, and there always seemed a 
special Sunday calm about. 

But there were the home people to consider. 
Lucy would he awake now from her afternoon 
nap, and would be longing for her romp with her 
“ fazzer man ; ” and mother would he so delighted 
with her flowers, and Master Sunshine would be 
needed to help arrange them ; while Almira Jane 
was sure to be wondering what was keeping “ the 
folks ” so late. The Sunday tea would be ready 
for them too ^ — and a specially good tea it always 
was. There would be slices of cold meat spread 
on a platter of parsley ; and the thinnest slices 
of bread-and-butter on the best bread-plates, and 
frosted cake ; and, most likely, peach or straw- 
berry preserves from the jam-cupboard. 

Almira Jane was sure to be in good humor too ; 
for there was little work to do on Sunday, and she 
seldom got a chance to be “ nervous ” on the day 
of rest, and like as not Jacob would walk home 
with her after evening church ; while in the cosey 
sitting-room mother would play on the piano, and 
Master Sunshine and his father would join in 
singing their favorite hymns. 


BEING A HEBO. 


31 


CHAPTER V. 

BEING A HERO. 

HERE’LL be no rain to-day,” said Almi- 
ra Jane as Master Sunshine slipped off 
gayly to school next morning. “Your 
geese are sure to he good weather- 
prophets, and I notice that they are dressing their 
feathers and diving comfortably in the little duck- 
pond.” 

“And what would they he doing if it were 
going to rain ? ” inquired Master Sunshine. 

“ Geese always get noisy .and fidgety before 
storms,” answered Almira Jane. “ That was 
partly what was the matter with the Wanderer 
and his Wife the day you brought them here. 
They were doing their best to tell you that there 
was trouble in the air.” 

“ There is a great lot of sense, after all, even 
in creatures that people think are foolish,” thought 
Master Sunshine to himself as he set off. Then 
he turned to wave his hand to his mother, who 




32 


MASTER SUNSHINE., 


threw a kiss at him from an upper window as 
he disappeared down the road. 

Tommy and he strolled along, swinging their 
school satchels as they went. Presently a sound 
came to them on the still, morning air, something 
like a frightened yet angry sob, then a noise as 
of distant laughter. 

“I wonder what the boys are up to to-day,” 
said Tommy, with a lively look of interest. 

Master Sunshine said nothing, but broke from 
a walk into a smart run. He was just a bit afraid 
that his friend, the half-witted boy, was in trouble. 

Sure enough ! when they had turned the sharp 
bend in the road, they came to the scene of the 
mischief. And then, somehow, all Master Sun- 
shine’s smiles vanished, and a sad, troubled ex- 
pression fell on his face. 

A group of schoolboys were teasing Billy But- 
ler, by calling him mocking names, and even by 
throwing balls of soft mud at him; while poor 
Billy was growing white with rage and was ges- 
ticulating wildly. 

It was not the first time that the schoolboys 
had made a butt of poor Billy; and Master 
Sunshine wished, oh, so much ! that he were not 
quite so young and small. He was sure that 


BEING A HERO. 


33 


these big boys would not stop their rude play 
for him. 

Tommy was by his side now, and the boys 
were calling to them to join the crowd. Tommy 
looked rather undecided. He knew well enough 
that the boys were doing wrong, but he feared 
they would laugh at him unless he took part 
too; but Master Sunshine could not stand the 
sight. 

“ Come, Dick, make the boys stop teasing 
Billy,” cried he, going up to the big boy who was 
leading in the rude sport. “ He has never done 
you any harm.” 

Dick looked angrily arovmd. “ Listen to bow- 
legged Norton,” he answered rudely. 

“ Run along,” jeered another ; “ you better go 
and play with the a-b-c boys at the schoolhouse.” 

Master Sunshine could not bear to be teased ; 
but neither had he the heart to turn away when 
Billy’s eyes were following him so piteously. His 
mind was quite made up now, and his temper 
was rising fast. 

“ If you can do without me, you can do with- 
out Billy too,” he said firmly, making his way 
through the group. “You can call me any 
names you like, and throw mud if you want to ; 


34 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


but I’m not going to leave Billy till he can go 
safely home.” 

The boys looked at one another in amazement. 
Here was Fred Norton dictating to them what 
they should and should not do, — a little chap 
who had scarcely been a year at school. 

For a moment they were too surprised to make 
any objection ; and Master Sunshine had actu- 
ally elbowed his way through the crowd, and, 
with Billy by the hand, was making his way 
back towards home before they realized what 
was happening. 

Then a rude lad threw a great handful of mud 
that spattered on Master Sunshine’s back, and 
another cried, “Look at his bow-legs.” 

Master Sunshine looked back at his tormentors, 
for the taunt was harder to bear than the mud 
itself. The boys were quick to see this, and a 
half dozen of them at once joined in the teasing 
chorus : “ Did you ever see such legs ? Before 
I’d have crooked legs like that?” 

And then his first tormentor would set in with 
the taunt of “ Bow-legged Norton ! bow-legged 
Norton ! ” 

But somehow the frm was quite gone out of it 
now. A number of the better-minded boys had 


BEING A BERO. 


36 


left the group, and were walking quietly along. 
Tommy was talking vigorously to them. 

“ Fred Norton is all right,” he exclaimed ; 
“ he’s as manly and honest as he can be. He 
can’t bear to see anything ill-treated, not even a 
dog; and it is just like him to take Billy’s part.” 

“He made me feel small somehow,” said Ralph, 
the largest boy of all. “ I suppose I could have 
stopped the row if I ’d thought, but I was afraid 
the fellows would be angry at me for spoiling 
their sport. I ’ll not let them tease him any more, 
though ; ” and at a sharp word from him the boys 
ceased their rude fun. 

Master Sunshine was quite late for school that 
morning, and when he did arrive he was so flushed 
in the face, and so muddy in his dress, that Mr. 
Sinclair the teacher guessed that something was 
amiss; and a few quiet questions at recess brought 
out part of the story from Tommy, who was but 
too delighted to sing his friend’s praises. 

That afternoon when lessons were over, Mr. 
Sinclair gathered his pupils about him. “ Boys,” 
he said, “ something that happened to-day makes 
me afraid that some of you do not know what 
manliness means; and, if there is a boy among 
you who does not wish to grow into a manly 


36 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


man, I would like him to leave the schoolroom 
now.” 

Tommy Dane turned around and looked very 
hard at Dick, who had been the chief of Billy’s 
persecutors; but the boy, though looking very 
shame-faced, made no effort to move. 

“ Some of you,” continued the master, “ have 
been making Billy Butler very unhappy. Do you 
think the boy has too much pleasure in his life? ” 

Every boy there made a picture to himself of 
Billy’s life, and wondered what the master could 
mean. Billy’s home was the worst in the village, 
his parents were often unkind to him, his clothes 
were always in rags, he had no friends to play 
with, no one ever thought of asking him to a 
party or a picnic or even to play quietly in the 
back yard. He had never even had a chum. 

The teacher read their thoughts very easily. 
“ Then,” said he, “ if he has no pleasures, why do 
you not try giving him a few instead of making 
his life a burden. A manly boy tries to do what 
good he can to his fellow-creatures, and it seems 
that the manliest boy among you is one of the 
youngest pupils.” 

The boys looked at Master Sunshine as he 
spoke, for they knew that his words could have 


BEING A HERO. 


37 


but one meaning. Some of them smiled as they 
did so ) but Dick looked away again quickly, as 
if there was something in the sight that he could 
not bear. 

Master Sunshine was sound asleep. His head, 
all a glitter with its yellow curls, was cradled on 
his arm. There were bits of the dried mud still 
clinging to the back of his coat. Even the boys 
who smiled were deeply touched. They remem- 
bered then what a very little boy he was, and they 
did not wonder that the excitement of the morn- 
ing and the work of the day had quite exhausted 
him. 

There was something like a tear in Dick’s hard 
gray eyes. 

“ Boys,” continued the teacher, “ tell me what 
is your idea of a hero.” 

“A man who does what is right whether he 
likes to or not,” said Ralph, who was feeling much 
ashamed of his share in the morning’s doings. 

“ A man who defends the weak,” said Tommy 
proudly. The teacher nodded. 

“ You are both right,” said he ; “ and I hope 
from this out to have not one, but a whole room- 
ful of heroes.” 

When the breaking-up of school aroused Master 


38 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


Sunshine, he rubbed his eyes open and stared 
about wonderingly. He could not think what 
had made him do such a silly thing as to go 
to sleep in school. 

The boys crowded around him as he said good- 
by to Mr. Sinclair and started for home. Tommy 
grabbed his books, another lad gave hun a little 
penknife with a tortoise-shell handle, and a third 
offered him a great, shiny, winter apple. 

These delicate attentions were so unexpected 
that Master Sunshine was quite bewildered ; and 
he was even more puzzled and perhaps a little 
frightened, when Hick caught him up upon his 
shoulder, and carried him home in state. 

It was all so new and so unexpected, and he 
was so tired, that he did not ask why it was that 
the boys, led by Mr. Sinclair, gave three rousing 
cheers for the “ hero of Hill-top school ” just as 
he and his bearer went out of the school gate. 

He half dozed again, even on his high perch ; 
and it was not until the shrill voices of the Wan- 
derer and his Wife warned him, that he realized 
that he was home at last and that another rain- 
storm was drawing near. 


KIND DEEDS. 


39 


CHAPTER VI. 

KIND DEEDS. 

N Friday afternoons Mr. Sinclair usu- 
ally gave his pupils a very pleasant 
hour just before closing. Of late he 
had been reading aloud “ Beautiful 
Joe,” and all had been interested in the story 
of the intelligent dog. 

Tommy Dane listened intently to every word, 
and was quick to put in practice every kind sug- 
gestion; while Master Sunshine smiled his ap- 
proval of the familiar tale, for his own copy of 
the book was much thumbed from constant read- 
ing. He felt very happy to think that so many 
boys who had pets were learning how to take 
care of them properly. But he was quite as 
surprised as the rest of the lads when, at the 
close of the reading that week, Mr. Sinclair 
leaned over his desk and said, “ Boys, I am not 
going to read to you next Friday afternoon.” 

A little murmur of disappointment ran around 




40 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


the room. “ Instead,” he continued, smiling 
down at their troubled faces, “ I want you to 
entertain me. The book we have been reading 
teaches us kindness to animals, and I should like 
to hear from each one of you of some thought- 
ful act that has made the lives of the dependent 
creatures about you a little happier.” 

“I know plenty of people who drive their 
horses too hard, and half starve them into the 
bargain,” interrupted one of the boys. 

Mr. Sinclair raised his hand. “ I am sorry to 
say that I know of a few such people myself,” 
he answered; “but we are not talking about them 
now. There are many people who are kind to 
their four-legged servants and pets, and I want 
you to learn by their example. Each one is to 
tell in his own words of some kind deed that he 
has a personal knowledge of, and after that we 
will see what is to be done.” 

You can imagine how busy the hoys were all 
that week. They asked questions by the thou- 
sands of all their friends. They prowled about 
barns and henneries and rabbit hutches until 
the people in the village woke up to the idea 
that the hoys of Hill-top school were taking a 
lively interest in the welfare of all animals. 


KIND DEEDS. 


41 


“ Give my horses an extra ration of oats and 
rub them down well, Jacob,” said Banker Patter- 
son, with a twinkle 'in his eye. “ I wouldn’t like 
to be reported for cruelty to animals, and I notice 
that young Tommy Dane and that yellow-headed 
Norton are eying my turnout very curiously.” 
Jacob chuckled over the joke, for he well knew 
that the banker’s horses were the best attended 
to in the village. 

“They say,” said Jacob, “that Master Sun- 
shine, as they call that Norton boy, is at the 
bottom of the whole business ; ” and thereupon he 
told the story to his employer of how the brave 
little fellow had protected Billy Butler. 

“A fine boy that and a promising one,” said 
Mr. Patterson cordially; “but smely,” he added, 
with a slight frown, “he did not tell you of it 
himself ? ” 

“ Not he,” laughed Jacob ; “ but Tommy Dane 
has been full of it ever since ; and Almira 
Jane, the help over at the cottage, has told me 
too. I guess it is owing to her good sense as 
much as anything else that he’s turned out so 
well.” 

And perhaps it was as well that Jacob did not 
see the merry twinkle in the banker’s eye at his 


42 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


words. It was surprising how much Mr. Pat- 
terson knew of what went on in the village. 

One thing was sme. None of the boys’ pets 
suffered during that week. They had never 
thought so much of them before ; and presently 
Friday afternoon came, and Mr. Sinclair, leaning 
back comfortably in his chair, was asking for 
their stories. 

He began with Master Sunshine, because he 
was the youngest of all ; and the little fellow ex- 
plained how he had learned during the week 
that heavy hens like his Cochin Chinas should 
be given low roosts because it was such an effort 
for them to lift their unwieldy bodies. 

‘‘Mine have all been made low now,” he added 
eagerly; “and Almira Jane says that it is a good 
common sense-ical idea.” 

They all smiled a little over the way he 
brought in Almira Jane’s name and her funny 
word. But they had come to have such respect 
for the manly little fellow that no one laughed 
aloud. 

Then Tommy told how Jacob had taught him 
to be kind to a pretty colt which his father was 
bringing up. 

“I always thought it was fun to play with it. 


KIND DEEDS. 


43 


I often teased it just to make it kick out with 
its front feet,” he said; “but I know now that 
that sort of teasing, though it does not hurt the 
colt at the time, teaches it the habit of kicking. 
A kicking horse is almost worse than no horse 
at all.” 

“The thing I know about happened last win- 
ter,” said his seat-mate. “ There was plenty of 
snow and ice about, but nothmg for the birds to 
drink ; so my sister used to put a saucer of water 
on the window-ledge each morning. The birds 
would come from a long way off to get a sip 
from it, and they were always glad to pick up a 
few crumbs she strewed for them.” 

“Mine is a bird story too,” said an observant- 
looking boy; “but the kindness was done by 
birds, instead of by people. Last week when a 
bill-poster was pasting up some advertisements 
on our barn, a sparrow perched on the edge of 
the bucket, and got his feet and the tips of his 
wing-feathers all covered with paste.” 

“I meant to catch him and try to tame him, 
but the bill-poster said to wait and see what hap- 
pened next; and sure enough, two other spar- 
rows came and flew in circles above his head, 
and chirped to him as if they were talking over 


44 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


what could be done. At last he managed to 
loosen his claws from the paste, and to move his 
wings ever so little. The birds, one on each 
side of him, helped him to the trough by the side 
of the road, and he splashed in the water until 
the paste was quite washed off.’’ 

‘‘And what did this very curious sight make 
you think of ? ” said Mr. Sinclair, suddenly lean- 
ing over his desk, and looking at the lad. 

The boy colored deeply as he said, “It made 
me think of my string of birds’ eggs at home, 
and my collection of birds’ nests. I promised 
myself then that I would never, never do any- 
thing to injure birds again. I thought that if 
they knew enough to be kind to each other I 
ought to know enough to be kind to them.” 

It seemed as if there were no end to the good 
deeds of which the lads had taken note. 

One had seen an bid man digging burdock- 
roots from the corner of a sheep-field; and, when 
he offered his help, had learned how troublesome 
the burdock-burrs were to all woolly or hairy 
animals. 

Another had much to say of a lamb-creep that 
had been arranged so as to give the young lambs 
a fair share of food. The older sheep too often 


KIND DEEDS. 


45 


pushed the young ones aside when feeding-time 
came, and their owner had built a little fold, into 
which only the small lambs could enter, where a 
portion of the food was always placed. All the 
lambs in his flock were plump and thriving, while 
in his neighbor’s pastures, where the lambs were 
left to fight for themselves, they were thin, mis- 
erable-looking creatures. 

Some told of how thoughtful people kept 
water always where the pet dogs could get it; 
and others of the care that should be given to 
canaries and to goldfish; and the happy horu’ 
was nearly over when Mr. Norton said, “ Now, 
Dick, you have told us nothing. Before we 
break up school for to-day I would like to hear 
what you have to say.” 

Dick shook his; head but his teacher knew 
that he had been listening intently to all that 
went on, and was very hopeful that at last he 
had found a way to the heart of his scholar. 

“Let me tell for him, please,” interrupted 
Master Sunshine. “ He’s been doing kind things 
all the week for poor Billy Butler. He dug him 
a garden last Saturday night, and has filled it 
with plants from his own garden.” 

“Ah!” said the teacher, well pleased at the 


46 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


report. “Dick, I think you have done best of 
all ; ” and the boys thumped on the floor with 
their heavy boots, and banged the covers of the 
desks, to show their appreciation of the good 
deed. 


A HAPPY ENDING. 


47 


CHAPTER VII. 

A HAPPY EISTDING. 

UST as Mr. Sinclair laid his hand on 
the bell to give the signal for dismis- 
sal, a handsome carriage drove to the 
door. The boys all stared out of the 
window at the unusual sight. Banker Patter- 
son was helping a lady to alight, and the lady 
was none other than Almira Jane. Jacob was 
smiling down from the driver’s seat at the queer 
couple. 

Master Sunshine rubbed his eyes in bewilder- 
ment. What could Almira Jane be doing there ? 
and what could be in that great basket that 
Jacob was handing down to her? It looked 
very much like the great picnic-basket that hung 
in the kitchen pantry ! 

And now it was the banker’s turn to be loaded 
up. Jacob gave him several heavy parcels, and 
finally jumped from his perch and carrying very 
carefully an odd-shaped package, led the way to 




48 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


the school door. Billy Butler was standing not 
far off. He had no fear of the schoolboys now, 
and sometimes came to the gate when school 
was dismissed to nod to each one he knew, 
and to say the names over in his hoarse voice. 
Jacob called out to him in a friendly tone, and 
the hoy followed him to the school steps. 

Mr. Sinclair was as much surprised as his 
pupils at the arrival of his visitors ; but he has- 
tily gave them seats, and was about to call for 
classes again, when Mr. Patterson said in his big 
round voice, — 

“Young people, I have not come here to ex- 
amine your progress in your studies, but to tell 
you how delighted I am with the work you have 
been at this week. I have never felt so proud of 
the Hill-top schoolboys before, and I want to 
ask you to keep on as you have begun. 

“I’m afraid I have not always been as thought- 
ful for my animal friends as I could wish ; but, 
watching a little neighbor of mine whose pets 
require a great deal of care, and whose master 
is devoted to them, has made me think a little 
more of the matter.” 

Master Sunshine smiled over at Tommy as 
much as to say, “Do you hear him praising 


A HAPPY ENDING. 


49 


you?” for tlie little fellow did not even dream 
that it was his love for his pets and his brave 
conduct towards Billy Butler which had brought 
about this visit. 

“ If you boys,” continued the banker, will 
study the needs of all the animals about us, and 
keep on talking about all the kind deeds you 
learn of, we shall soon have a model village, 
where every horse and cow, and lamb and dog 
and cat, will be comfortably looked after. 

“I have heard that your good teacher, Mr. 
Sinclair, has been wishing for a school library 
for you,” he continued, so I have to-day 
brought my contribution towards it.” And as 
the banker spoke he untied the great bundles of 
handsomely bound natural history books enriched 
with many beautiful colored pictures, and a num- 
ber of volumes of stories of animals. 

am sure,” he added, ‘Hhat the more you 
know about our animal friends the more inte- 
rested you will be in their welfare. I have 
learned with a great deal of interest that one of 
you is planning to erect a drinking-fountain in 
the village when he is a man. Now, suppose, in- 
stead of waiting till that somewhat distant day, 
that we make a bargain. If you will endeavor 


50 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


for a whole year to make the lives of all help- 
less creatures happy, I will for my part promise 
to put up a fountain where men and horses and 
dogs and birds may have a refreshing drink. 
But remember, I will not do this until I am 
sure that you have done your part faithfully. 
This is a miniature copy of the fountain I am 
willing to erect.” 

At a word from him Jacob quickly threw the 
covering from the package which he had placed 
on the desk, and the boys exclaimed with delight 
at the beautiful model of a fountain which was 
displayed. 

They surrounded it in an instant, and were 
quick to admire every detail — the great horse 
with his shaggy mane on top, the tiny mug 
hung at the faucets for wayfarers, the wide 
trough for horses and cows, and the four little 
basins for dogs and birds. 

“ This is the model of the fountain you are to 
earn,” said their new friend pleasantly. “ You 
may keep it in your schoolroom as a reminder.” 

Just didn’t these boys cheer. The school- 
house fairly shook with the noise and tumult 
they made. They gathered like bees about their 
friend to promise him that they would earn the 


A HAPPY ENDING. 


51 


fountain faithfully, and to thank him a dozen 
times over for the beautiful books. 

At this, Almira Jane, who had been listen- 
ing with a happy smile to the little speech, 
suddenly threw off the cover of her basket ; and 
there, lying on white napkins, were layers of 
the crispest doughnuts and dozens of molasses 
cookies of her most delicious make. 

The boys needed no invitation to fall to, for 
the sight of the dainties was quite enough ; and 
Dick took care that Billy, whose hungry eyes 
were looking in at the door, should have a share 
as well. 

A few minutes later all the fun was over. 
Ahnira Jane, waving her empty basket to rid 
it of the crumbs, climbed into the carriage ; and 
at Mr. Patterson’s request Master Sunshine and 
Tommy accepted his place, while he remained 
for a quiet talk with Mr. Sinclair. The rest of 
the boys sauntered happily home, with a pleasant 
word each for Billy, who by this time was so 
amazed at the good fortune that had befallen 
him that he could find no words in which to 
express his feelings. 

But that was not all, I can tell you. The boys 
were full of the new idea; and strange as it 


52 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


may seem, the more kind things they saw done, 
the more they were anxious to do themselves, 
and nearly all the objectionable pastimes they 
had formerly engaged in were laid aside. No 
one ever went fishing just for the pleasure of 
throwing the panting, struggling fish on the 
grass; no one ever tormented frogs, or pulled 
the wings off the poor flies nowadays. 

The, boys of the Hill-top school had taken all 
living things under their protection, and you 
may be sure that they put down all kinds of 
thoughtless cruelty. 

It was just a year from the day on which they 
made their bargain with Mr. Patterson that the 
fountain was set up. It was shrouded in a 
great flag until it should be finally unveiled. 

It was a great day in the village, I can tell 
you. Never before had the Hill-top schoolboys 
been so looked up to. The fountain was their 
gift to the village. They had earned it faithfully 
and well. They were all there, drawn up in a 
circle about the fountain, — Ralph and Dick and 
Tommy and Master Sunshine, and all the other 
pupils of the school. Close by were gathered 
their relatives and friends; for the formal unveil- 
ing was felt to he a most important matter, and 


A HAPPY ENDING. 


53 


the whole village had turned out to witness the 
ceremony. 

Mrs. Norton was looking very pleased and 
happy over some words that Mr. Patterson said 
quietly in her ear, while Lucy, now a baby no 
longer, cried out from her post on her father’s 
shoulder, “It’s dee Suns’ine’s fountain, it’s dee 
Suns’ine’s fountain;” and Almira Jane dressed 
in her best bib and tucker,- and Jacob dressed in 
his Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, looked across 
at each other very kindly. 

Presently Mr. Patterson in a few words told 
of the events that had led to the erection of the 
fountain, and Mr. Sinclair called on Master Fred- 
erick Norton to pull down the great flag that 
veiled the fountain from view. A cry of admi- 
ration went up from the crowd as the fountain, 
a most beautiful work of art, burst on their view. 

At a second signal from Mr. Sinclair, plente- 
ous streams of sparkling water gushed into the 
troughs and basins, while the boys of the Hill- 
top school burst into a song which their teacher 
had especially prepared for the occasion. 

Gyp and Tim meantime, who had followed 
their young masters from home, suddenly real- 
ized what all the disturbance was about, and 


54 


MASTER SUNSHINE. 


with one accord they made their way through 
the crowd, and began to lap up water from the 
dog-basins with as little concern as if they had 
been used to these luxuries all their lives. 

Master Sunshine’s eyes were with his pet, you 
may be sme; and suddenly he stopped singing 
right in the middle of a verse, and gazed in won- 
der at the words which were carved low down at 
the base of the fountain, “ I was thirsty, and 
ye gave me drink.” 

‘‘How could Mr. Patterson know the very 
text I liked best of all ? ” he said to himself. 

And he pondered over it all that day. In the 
evening, after he had tended to his Cochin 
Chinas and captured the Guinea hens in the 
very act of stealing away, and had seen that 
the Wanderer and his Wife were under shelter, 
a light suddenly broke on him. 

“ 0 Almira Jane, I believe it was you who 
told!” he exclaimed as he burst into the kitchen; 
and although she never would admit it, I think 
she did. 





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